86 
HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE. 
being larger and much handsomer, the back, scapulars, and wing- 
coverts are of a very intense shining black, the anterior part 
of the back and scapulars being skirted with fulvous, and the 
wing-coverts edged near the tip with pure white; the sides and 
also the inferior portion of the neck are of a bright rufous: the 
two middle tail-feathers are of the same deep black as the back, 
and the lateral ashy ones are edged with white. It will be 
remarked that the chief difference between the specimen figured 
and the quite perfect state resides in the ferruginous colouring of 
the sides of the neck, which does not meet on the breast, as it 
does quite broadly in adult birds : considerable variation takes 
place in this respect, which is entirely owing to the more or less 
advanced maturity of the bird. 
The young before the summer moult are well distinguished by 
having the forehead, cheeks, throat, sides of the neck and neck 
beneath pure white, as well as all the under parts, the neck and 
flanks being the only parts tinged with cinereous: a slight yellow¬ 
ish tinge appears on the sides of the neck: the top of the head 
only, a band along the nucha, and a patch around the eyes are 
blackish-gray slightly skirted with rufous: the back and scapulars 
blackish, each feather broadly skirted with bright ferruginous : 
the wing-coverts blackish, lesser margined with white; greater 
white at the tip: the inner part of the tarsus is yellow ; the exterior 
and the toes of a yellowish green. 
During summer this bird resorts to lakes and fresh waters, 
though preferring at all times brackish water: in winter they 
betake themselves to the sea, and are even met with at great 
distances from land, floating among icebergs in the desolate seas 
of the north: they swim still better than the other Phalaropes, 
and are met with farther at sea. This species is mostly seen in 
pairs, though sometimes in small flocks, and busily engaged in 
dipping their bill into the water after the minute and almost 
